How To Start a Fire With Sticks? You’ll Be Amazed!

Have you ever, for some reason, been stuck in the middle of a forest with no survival tools with you? Maybe you went out for a walk in the woods and found yourself lost? Or, maybe you went out for camping with some friends and went too far?

For someone who is not interested in camping, I have recently found survival skills helpful. I wasn’t lost or anything, but I just realized how important it is to learn the primitive ways. That is: How to start a fire with sticks. I mean people always talk about the apocalypse, right?

Why do you need to learn this method? What if you are stuck without the fire starter kit you bought in case of emergency? Then, the solution are the sticks: simple but powerful!

​Things to Ponder On

I do not mean to scare you or anything like that, but what if a disaster happens? And what if there is nowhere else to go for survival, but the woods? If this happens, a set of basic survival skills will come handy.

So how do you learn these things? Where do you even begin? Well, I guess the best way is to start with the most important element you will need to live. Without this, you can just perish in the cold. Yes, you guessed it right; I am talking about fire.

You have seen it in the movies, and maybe your scout masters have taught you this in junior camp. Fire will be your source of heat to help you boil water and cook raw food. So before you hunt for anything else, you have to figure this out.

It is not as easy as it looks like when the camp experts do it. But, that’s what this article is for. With the guide that I will be sharing with you, you cannot go wrong.

​What You Will Need

1. Two Sticks​

​These are the essentials since we are talking about making fire out of sticks. The question is, could you just look for any stick found in the woods?

​Naturally, you will be able to find sticks of different sizes and shapes in the woods. However, you have to be a little “meticulous” in choosing the ones you will rub together. Of course, you will not choose those that are too thin and easy to break. Rather, some scrap or pieces of wood would be good.

Another important note is for you to get those that are soft and dry. Obviously, a wet wood will not light up no matter how hard you rub. And by “soft” I don’t mean too soft to break. You know what I mean.

And, if you can find more than two of the same size and durability, then that would be better. You will need the spare for your trial and error, especially if it is your first time to try it.

2. A Sharp Rock​

You will need this rock to smoothen the edges of the stick or piece of wood you will light up. It is important that the rock is sharp so you can “fashion” the sticks perfectly. You will use this to scrape the sides of the piece of wood and to sharpen the tips too.

Now I know what you think—it is kind of hard to work with a rock as though it’s a knife. Well, it will take a lot of patience. Just be sure that the rock you will use is something that you can grasp easily but will not cut your hand. Injuring yourself will only make things worse.

3. A Bundle Of Tinder Or Coconut Husk​

These fibers are the actual fire starters. Any bundle of tinder or wood shavings will do, but coconut husks are the best bet. Coconut husks are naturally easier to “burst into flames.”

With the coconut husk, you’ll put a little more work as you have to remove the fibers from the shell. Again, you can back up with more wood shavings as spare, for your trial and error. You can watch an interesting video bellow.

​How to Start a Fire with Sticks

1. Form Two Pieces Of Durable Wood or Sticks​

You will have to do this using the sharp rock. You have to make sure that the sticks to be formed are well smoothed and not too edgy. This way, you will not have a hard time rubbing them together later on.

​Also, make sure that the pieces of wood are at least ¼-inch thick so you can grab them easily by your hand. If they are too thin, they make break easily. If they are too thick, it will be hard getting a good grip on.

And then, scrape the tip of one of the sticks so that it is angled 45 degrees against the other. This will give you a good rubbing surface and will make sure the friction works effectively.

2. Get a Good Grip And Start Pushing The Plow Stick​

First, you must sit on or step on the base stick so that it is steady. It will be hard for the friction to work properly if the base is loose. And then, grasp the angled plow stick and start rubbing it on the base back and forth.

You will need to put pressure on the plow stick while rubbing to start the friction. As the source suggests, your entire upper body should be steady and your arms straight. This position will help you put in more force.

3. Rub And Add More Pressure​

Do this until you see dust coming out of the sticks you are rubbing. This dust is the signal of a starting smoke. Make sure that when this starts to come out, you put in more pressure on your rubbing to heat the sticks more. And then you will notice that the pile is smoking on its own.

4. Get The Tinder To Flame Up​

This is quite the crucial part. Get the bundle of tinder or coconut husks and pile it up on the smoking ember. To help it light up in a flame, you will need to blow on it carefully.

While blowing, you can also try wrapping the bundle around the area. However, make sure you do not put too much of the shavings. Holding this steady and blowing consistently will get the fire started.

​Conclusion

​So that’s about it! I hope you did enjoy the mini tutorial on how to start a fire with sticks. Now that you know how to do this, you no longer have to worry about being stuck in the woods.

You could just start a fire, heat yourself up and some water and food. And then you can just wait until help arrives. The key here is just to stay calm and be smart. Panicking will not do you any good. As long as you are knowledgeable of basic survival skills, then you’re good to go.

I do hope you will not need this desperately, though. Remember to camp out and stay safe! If you have comments, suggestions and other tips, feel free to comment down below.​

Louise Brown

Hi buddy! I’m Louise. As a lover of the outdoors, crafting a blog about traveling and adventure is a bit of a stretch for me. I truly love to be outside, so getting in front of the computer takes me away from my passion. But, it’s important for me to share what I love so others can get out and appreciate the outdoors, too.

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